Marijuana smell cannot prompt car search, court rules

Between the lines: The old standard didn't hold up because voters broadly legalized cannabis in 2018, the Detroit News reports.

• The possession and use of cannabis in small amounts is legal for people 21 and older, but it cannot be used inside a vehicle, per the AP.

Catch up quick: The case involved a 2020 search, based on the odor of burnt marijuana, of a Jeep Cherokee in Detroit that turned up a handgun, resulting in three criminal charges that are now tossed in light of the ruling.

What they're saying: "The smell of marijuana might just as likely indicate that the person is in possession of a legal amount of marijuana, recently used marijuana legally, or was simply in the presence of someone else who used marijuana," Justice Megan Cavanagh wrote in the majority opinion.

Reality check: Smelling marijuana can still be used for probable cause in combination with other factors, including poor driving or a person not answering questions coherently, East Lansing-based defense attorney Mike Nichols told the News.